Picker-stick attachment.



PATENTED NOV. 12, 1907.

H. E. TAPLIN.

PIOKER STICK ATTAGHMENL APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1906.

Fol 3.

immsmbr: /4mz,/ .2, f A M Mair/5825.

UNITED STATES r rnnr OFFICE.

HOMER E. TAPLIN, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

PICKER-STICK ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

' Application filed November 10 1906- Serial No. 342.859.

To all who'm it may concern:

Be it known that HOMER E. TAPLIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, has invented certain new and useful Improvements inPicker-Stick Attachments, of which the following is a specification.

7 My invention is an attachment to the picker sticks or staffs of loomsand comprises a combination of parts to replace the sweep strap, andpower strap, now commonly used. Its principal objects are to provide apositive connection between the picker staff and the sweep stick so thatthere will be no lost motion on the forward stroke of the picker, and toprovide a cushion for the back stroke of the picker staff, sweep stick,and

connections. v

. My invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure1 is a top view, in section on line X Y of Fig. 4, of the lug straps,sweep stick and a portion of the picker staff. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe device. Fig. 3 is a view of the adjustment band and picker staff online U V of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of my attachmentin place.

Arepresents a portion of the loom frame.

B represents the rocker iron to which the picker stick 0 is pivoted.

D is the sweep stick and E is the sweep arm by which the sweep stick andlug straps are actuated.

F is the foot strap which is attached to a spring M by which pickerstick C is brought back after delivering its blowto the shuttle orpicker. The picker staff 0 is pivoted at 10 to the rocker iron, asshown.

The sweep stick D and sweep arm E are of the ordinary construction.

My device consists, substantially, of the adjustment band G, the backpiece H, the head K, and the straps L.

Adjustment band G consists of the U shaped strap 20, which is of a widthequal to the width of anordinary picker stick and somewhat longer thanthe depth of the picker stick. Near the open end are square openings 22through which pass the curved shoulders of brace 23. A bolt 24 passesthrough brace 23 and against a bearing plate 25 interposed between itand picker stick 0. By this construction the bolt 24 can be loosened andthe whole device can be slid up or down upon picker stick 0, as shownbythe dotted lines in Fig. 2 and it I may be clamped in any position bytightening bolt 24.

In so shifting the positions of the parts, the band G may be moved up ordown, the back piece H. may be moved up or down or both may be movedtogether as desired. In this way more or less power is given to theblows of the picker stick and picker and the elasticity of back piece Hmay be increased or diminished. The advantage of the construction shownis, that by loosening bolt 24 and separating the legs of strap 20, brace23 may be withdrawn and strap 20 may be readily removed and attached toa new picker stick.

The back piece I-I consists preferably of a strip of springy wood of asize at the bottom to slide through band G, when bolt 24 is loosened.This strip may be of wood, metal, fiber, bone, celluloid, rubber orother elastic substance, but I prefer wood. The top of back piece H isextended into a tongue 32 which fits into a suitable mortise in head K.Head K and tongue 32 are held together by a pin 33. A shoulder 34 onback piece H helps to make the union firm.

The head K is of fiber, metal or wood and is pivoted by a stud 35 to thestraps L which may be of wood, fiber or metal and are pivoted at theirother end to the sweep stick D by a stud 36. On the face of head K,which is next to the picker stick C, I preferably fasten a sheet ofleather 31, as that is the part which receives the weight of the blow.If head K is made of fiber, as I prefer to make it, and stud 35 ofmetal, no oil is needed to lubricate the bearing and the wear is reducedto a minimum. Straps L may be of metal'as there is so little jar thatthey will not crystallize.

The operation of my device is as-followsz-Starting with the picker stickin the position shown in Fig. 2, at the required time picker stick G isdriven forward by the action of sweep arm E and sweep stick D, actingthrough straps L and head K. The action of the spring in back piece Hkeeps head K pressed close against picker stick 0 so that there is nolost motion. After the blow is delivered foot strap F throws pickerstick C back carrying with it in close contact the head K and therebysweep stick D and sweep arm E. When the top of picker stick 0 strikesits buffer or check, the momentum acquired carries along sweep arm E andsweep stick D thereby forcing back head K and back piece H, as shown bythe dotted lines in Fig. 4. When the momentum of these parts isexhausted by working against the spring of back piece H, the spring ofback piece H brings head K back into contact with the picker stick 0 andkeeps it there so that there will be no lost motion upon the nextforward stroke. The action between picker stick 0 and back piece H issuch that as picker stick G is held firmly in one place by its pivot 10,foot strap F, and its buffer, not shown, the back piece H will alwaysbring head K up to picker stick C, and this brings sweep stick D andsweep arm E back to just the same place, for every stroke. At the sametime spring H will take up thcforce of the blow, which is usually givento picker stick 0 by the end of sweep stick D on the back stroke. In theusual constructions, as sweep arm E has free play on its pivot, there isnothing to stop the momentum given it and sweep stick D by the backstroke of the picker stick except by the end of the sweep stick strikingthe picker stick. These blows quickly wear out and finally break thepicker sticks and also wear out the ends of the sweep sticks.

Where the ordinary lug strap is used, there is a good dealof lost motionby reason of the blow given by the lug strap as it strikes thelpickerstick and also by reason of the fact that it slides up and down on thepicker stick. This blow and sliding cause the lug strap to be quicklyworn out. Also as the lug strap, within the limits permitted by thepower strap, can slide up and down along the picker stick, the power isapplied at a different point on different strokes and at different partsof the same stroke. This makes the blows irregular in speed andstrength.

With my device, the action of the picker stick is smooth and positivewhich saves much wear on the parts. This saving of wear is especiallynoticeable on the picker and the free end of the picker stick whichstrikes the picker. Where there is a play between the lug strap and thepicker stick, the blow given the picker is a shivering blow and theresult of this is that the picker quickly wears out and the picker sticksplits and breaks. Frequently a nick is worn in the picker stick whichfinally catches on the picker and splits the stick.

The position of head K can be adjusted on picker stick 0 to a smallfraction of an inch and it is not necessary to weaken the picker stickby adjustment holes for the power strap. In this way power can be put onor taken off and it can be very closely adjusted. As none of the partsare of leather or other pliant material, they cannot stretch or get outof place as do the leather lug straps much in use, which frequentlystretch so much as to allow the loom to bang off or the shuttle to jam.

With my device, the stroke never changes when once adjusted.

What I claim as my invention and desire to cover by Letters Patent is 1.In a loom, a picker staif, an elastic back piece one end of which isattached thereto in such manner that the other end will be normally incontact with the back of the picker staff, straps pivoted to the freeend of the back piece and to the sweep stick, and the sweep stick asdescribed.

2. In a loom, a picker staff, an elastic back piece at tached thereto, ahead carried by the back piece and held yieldingly thereby against theback of the picker staff, straps pivoted to the head and to the sweepstick, and the sweep stick as described.

3. In a loom, a picker staff, an elastic back piece, an adjustment bandwhich holds adjustably said back piece to the picker staff, a headcarried by the back piece, straps pivoted to the head and to the sweepstick, and the sweep stick as described.

4. In a loom, a picker staff, an adjustment band carried thereby, a backpiece comprising a thin strip of elastic material held at one end bysaid band, ahead carried by the other end of the back piece, strapspivoted to the head and to the sweep stick, and the sweep stick asdescribed.

5. In a loom, a picker staff, an adjustment band carried thereby, a backpiece comprising a thin strip of elastic wood held at one end by saidband, a head carried by the other end of the back piece, straps pivotedto the head and to the sweep stick, and the sweep stick as described.

6. In a loom, a picker staff, an adjustment band carried thereby, a backpiece comprising a thin strip of elastic wood held at one end by saidband, a head made of fiber carried by the other end of the back piece,straps pivoted.

to the head and to the sweep stick, and the sweep stick as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I HOMER E. TAPLIN.

Witnesses 1 ELLIS LAYCOCK, .TAMns D. OHEARN.

